The locket in the rose
by terramari
Summary: Nathanial survives and summons Bartimaeus to help him with his new job of working with ancient artifacts. There are no cities to save, but can they save themselves from a life of devilry, or forever be subjected to torment? I don't own the Bartimaeus Trilogy, I just think that bart and nat should be a thing. xD
1. Chapter 1

I felt the familiar tug of fishhooks, embedded in my essence, dragging me to earth where my summoner awaited. Black smoke choked the contours of the pentacle and ice crept along the floorboards.

I was contemplating what voice to use. I could use something seductive and intoxicating, deep and booming, soft and serene…choices, choices. In spite of my mental effort at something impressive, I did a double take and scowled to find myself in Ptolemy's form. Blighter.

"Who dares to summon I, Bartimaeus-Sakhr-Al-Jinni-"

"Bartimaeus-"

"Silver Winged Serpent-"

"Bartimaeus, it's me!"

I choked on the noble words as a soft, glowing voice interrupted me. I blinked, to make sure my eyesight wasn't deceiving me. I flicked through the planes. Just an ordinary human, on all planes, But not quite normal. Yep, there was definitely something weird with this one. When I had pushed my jaw back into place, I tried to speak, but no sound came.

"Bartimaeus, look-"

"Wait."

He closed his mouth, looking impatient nonetheless.

I couldn't speak, only study the beautiful face before me. He had changed, but his features remained as handsome and slender as ever. It must have been his aura. It shone the most magnificent gold, and it made him seem like an angel in jeans and a t-shirt. It was a sorrowful beauty, that it made me bite my lip and brow know as though in sadness, but still curious. Such a terrible, lamented curiosity. His eyes were dark brown as always, framed by thick dark lashes. The lips had that slight blood red tint as ever, and his face was flushed beautifully from the cold I'd created.

Finally, in a hushed voice, I spoke.

"Nathaniel?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Nathanial?"

My voice was tentative and laced with that same grieving curiosity. The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a hesitant smile.

"Hi."

I closed my eyes and sat down in my pentacle.

"Nathanial, please explain. Before I collapse in confusion."

He smiled genuinely this time, and it lit up the room with a warm, golden glow. His smile turned into a grimace briefly.

"It's tough."

I raised one eyebrow.

"Try me. I do happen to be five thousand years old."

He looked hesitant.

"You might not like some of it."

"Nathanial, quit chewing the cud and spit it out."

He flushed at this, the delicate shade of rose spreading across ivory skin.

"Right. Well, it all started with…well…your last thought."

Ptolemy's face grew ashen.

"What? But that's not bloody fair! You're supposed to be dead, not embarrassing me for my last minute confessions!"

He grinned wolfishly.

"Well, it sort of, like put up a shield around me and protected me, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital in the unclaimed ward. There were tons of people hurt and London was in total chaos. So I left a week later, to make a life of my own. I've gotten a job as a recoverer for lost artifacts and rune translator. It's not so bad, actually. I travel a lot."

"In the meanwhile, London is still in shreds, seeing as it's only been three months, and the commoners are still trying to run the place, but it's all very chaotic. Many want the magicians on their side for their intelligence and information they provide, but then other commoners won't listen to a word they have to say because they think the magicians are working through them. as I said, it's all very chaotic; there's no real governmental establishment yet. But even when there is, I don't want to be involved in government again."

I looked up in surprise.

"Whoa, what? But, Nat, your ambitions-"

"I don't want to be john mandrake anymore. I don't want to be ambitious."

I couldn't speak.

"Nathanial-"

"Bartimaeus-" He looked pained. "What you said…was it…true?"

I couldn't breathe. I forgot how to talk. I'd been hoping so fervently that he wouldn't ask me this. So I threw on a casual grin and lounged in my pentacle.

"Well, I'm partial to you. You weren't a bad master in the end. I'm just not…that partial."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew! And here I was sweating bullets, thinking that you actually loved me."

He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Silly."


	3. Chapter 3

"Well Bartimaues, I didn't summon you on a whim; I've needed some help around here, mostly with translating runes and on travel too. I need protection."

I nodded absentmindedly.

Oh. I see," I said in a small voice. I don't know what I'd been thinking, that Nathanial would summon me just because he had wanted to.

He uttered the protective spells and I stepped out of my pentacle. muttering and cursing to himself, he sat at his desk and began shuffling through the gigantic stack of papers before thrusting forth a sizable stack at me.

He looked at me expectantly.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Can you translate them? I think they're all dead languages."

"Oh! Yeah. Sure."

I began shuffling through them, jotting translations down. We worked in silence, and the work wasn't terribly fascinating, but I did find a few old records of incidents I'd been involved in and I wasn't risking my neck.

After too much awkward silence for my taste, I began asking him idle questions, just to chat.

"-Now look here, I take a shower every morning!" Nathanial protested from a thick book of Grecian runes.

"Oh come off. With all this paperwork? And you need another haircut, your hair's grown two inches and it's flipping out at the end-"

"I just got a haircut!"

And so on. I didn't dare say it, but his hair looked rather tempting in that style. It fell in his face a bit as he worked by the lamplight, and the tips glowed a light bronze auburn color from the radiance of his aura…

I shook my head to clear it of such nonsensical thoughts and continued with my jibes.

Night fell upon the windows, slanting in shadows and streetlights that played patterns on the desk. Nathanial's eyes began to flutter downward and it was only five minutes later, at two in the morning, when he fell upon his book, fast asleep. He had told me to wake him if he did so, but as I reached out to shake him awake, I noticed the shadows under his eyes and left him be.


	4. Chapter 4

Nathaniel awoke with a terrible crick in his neck which was rapidly spreading to his head in waves of pain.

"eeerrnngggh…"

He realized that he had fallen asleep at his desk, his head pillowed by his massive encyclopedia of ancient artifacts. Rubbing his temples gingerly he recalled that he had fallen asleep in the midst of conversation with Bartimaeus. Suddenly, fragmented images of his dreams came rushing back to him. The dark boy leaning over, lounging on the arm of his chair, whispering things in languages Nathaniel didn't understand.

He stood up quickly, disgusted with the fading dream and shook his head to clear it. Although Bartimaeus may have once again become a fixture in Nathaniels life, Nathaniel had no intention of dreaming of the spirit. He stumbled towards the bathroom blearily and climbed in the shower, waking up slightly more.

Though his eyes were open at this point, he was still not sufficiently removed from his morning daze to deal with the suspicious smell that was wafting up from the kitchen, nor the subsequent crashing. He threw on jeans and a sweater and rushed downstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

"Oh sweet heaven and earth."

"I swear, I didn't do a thing!" Bartimaeus cried, standing amongst the kitchen. Pots, pans and flour were everywhere, including all over Bartimaeus.

"K…so…did the rats do it? Was it the landlady? Damn her, I knew she didn't like me."

"Haha. No, but seriously, it's not my fault. Some foliot bloody well jumped me, and, well, I may have overreacted…"

It was only now that Nathaniel glanced over and noticed a very bedraggled looking stork flapping its wings indignantly in the corner.

"Oh rudding hell. All right, what now?"

The stork puffed itself with importance and coughed several times, perhaps trying to gain their attention.

"Do you need a cough drop?" asked Bartimaeus.

The foliot glared in his direction and huffily turned towards Nathaniel again.

"I have been sent by a Mrs. Holly Little. She has an assignment for you, and hopes that you shall accept it. If you choose to accept it, she would like to meet with you at eleven this morning to discuss the details, at the café called, 'soulfull.' That is all."

With this the foliot gave a squawk and flapped it's way clumsily out the window. Bartimaeus turned to him.

"_soulfull?_ Who has taken over your body, nat?"

Nathnaniel felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"It's our usual lunch joint, it's nothing fancy. Anyways, this is strictly business."

"Oh, I see. Well in that case I suppose you wouldn't mind me coming with you."

"absolutely not."

"You won't even know I'm there."

"no way in hell, not even if you went as a mite to microscopic to see with the naked eye. Because no matter what, you will end up causing chaos."

"oh, come on Natty. That's why you summoned me, I add spice to the daily humdrum in and out of your life…"

The Djinni pestered him until he gave in and grudgingly agreed. He raced upstairs to change into a blue sweater and put on his converse sneakers. He had bellowed at Bartimaeus to clean up the disaster he had made of the kitchen, and he was pleased to see that when he came down it was in decent shape once again.

"bloody hell, we've got fifteen minutes," he said as he took a swig of orange juice straight from the bottle. "Thankfully it's only a few blocks away."

"you're not wearing that, are you?" the spirit blurted out.

Nathaniel looked at him, and then looked down at his outfit.

"Ummm…yeah. Why?"

The Egyptian boy looked puzzled, his hair shining softly in the morning sunlight.

"Nathaniel, this may be the first time I've ever seen you wearing jeans."

"Bartimaeus, I've never heard you call me Nathaniel so much."

Bartimaeus gaped like a fish out of water.

"Remember the part where I'm not an asshole of a magician anymore?"

Nathaniel grinned cheekily and they both rushed out the door, Bartimaeus rambling about the wickedness of magicians and their inability to change their ways.

"


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh lovely, it's bloody packed."

We arrived at the little café just barely at eleven. People were crowding in for lunch, but it didn't seem like anyone was sitting inside. They were all jostling elbow to elbow for tables in the sun. In one of the far corners at a table placed farther away from all the rest sat a young, light haired woman. She was medium height and very curvaceous. Her long legs poked out from under a black, tightly fitted skirt. She looked like any mans fantasy of a day at the office. She saw us and waved merrily at Nathaniel, beckoning him over, tossing a mane of perfect waves behind her shoulder.

"Nathaniel! Lovely you could make it, I got a bit worried."

He sat down across from her, grinning back.

"Yeah, well, that foliot of yours caused minor mayhem in my kitchen this morning."

She laughed and threw her head back. I looked at nat very carefully, waiting for the red tinge to creep up to his ears, looking for the signsof embarrassment he always got when a woman with this much sex appeal would even enter the room. But to no avail. He just smiled back at her, looking perfectly relaxed in her company.

"And just who is this, might I ask?" She asked him, gesturing towards me. Only now, when he looked at me, did a flush blossom on his pale cheeks. I huffed.

"Holly, this is Bartimaeus."

She gasped and turned completely around in her seat to face me, her ample busom nearly falling out of her low cut shirt.

"Oh my!" She stuck out a hand. I looked at Nathaniel and he gave me jerk of the head, as though to tell me to shake her hand. So that's what I did. Eurngh.

"I've heard so much about you! Nathaniel told me all about your adventures together, and how the two of you saved London. Here, sit down."

She scooted over a bit and I sat in the third chair, lounging slightly.

"Yeah, Nathaniel probably went off and exaggerated quite a bit. Lets be honest, I did most of the quick thinking."

She laughed, and Nathnaiel rolled his eyes.

"That's interesting though, didn't think nat would find the time to squeeze me into any conversation."

She laughed again at this. "Oh, well, we're like, best work buddies. We talk quite a bit."

I looked to Nathaniel at this, waiting for any signs of embarrassment at her statement, any stuttering, but he was engrossed in the wine menu.

"How about the zinfandel this time? The wine you picked last time was bloody awful."

"Oh, all right. But not the sweet one, I know how you are, you'd drink candy if it was available."

"It is. Theyre called cosmopolitans."

"God save me from the liquid sugar, I need some gin."

He laughed with her, and I couldn't help but notice how straight his teeth were, what a perfect smile he had…

"Bartimaeus, I don't suppose you'll want any wine?"

I was surpised to find Nathaniel asking me this. I smiled.

"Maybe later."

He chuckled. They continued to chat away. I pretended to read a newspaper, paying little attention. Until-

"So, you know how Daryll asked me to go to dinner with him the other night?"

"Oh yeah! How'd that go? There wasn't any restaurant drama and tears, was there?"

"Oh no." She was positively beaming as she held out her right hand. There, on her fourth finger was a golden ring with a diamond embedded in it.

Well, so much for her being Nat's girlfriend. My hypothesis and theories were flung out the window as I peeked over the newspaper to examine her glittering, and engaged finger. Bugger.

"Oh holy shit! Holly! Congratulations!"

She beamed, obviously brimming with joy. She took a moment to settle back in her seat, when they waiter came by for their order.

"Ah, Mrs. Little, Mr. Mandrake, what may I get for you today?"

"Oh well, I'll have the scampi."

"Erm…I think I'll have the yaquima sushi. Oh, and the white zinfandel please."

The waiter whisked away.

"Anyhows, enough of my married life, I'm turning into all giggles and mush. So. This little escapade of yours. Good thing you've got Bartimaeus around, because you're going to Paris. You know how they feel about the british. It's easy as cake otherwise. Here are the artifacts you'll be needing," She handed him a few papers with pictures clipped to them, "And most of them just need to be picked up from dig sites. But they'll all require fairly attentive care. You know the drill."

He nodded and slipped the papers into his messenger bag.

"Right, sounds good. Paris, eh? Havent been there, I might take a day or two to explore or summat, see if it's all it's chalked up to be. It'll be raining there, though won't it? Tchach."

"Pack a jacket or two. I've heard that it's actually getting pretty stormy down there."

"Hmm, oh well. Scuse me a moment, wont you?"

He got up and headed towards the restroom. To my horror, Holly turned towards me.

"So."

I fidgeted a bit.

"Err…So…what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Are you two, like, a thing?"

It took a moment for me to fully realize the implications of this question, and then it took another moment to process the full and mortifying realization of what she had asked.

"Oh dear Ra in the sky! Bloody hell, no!"

She looked a bit crestfallen.

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering. He did talk about you quite a bit."

"Why. Why would you ever wonder something as intangible as that?"

She peered at me curiously. "Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

She simply blinked at me. "Oh, you really don't know." She leaned in closer to me. "Nathaniels…well…I just have a suspicion that he's not into…women. Well, not so much of a suspicion, more of a…well, I have my reasons."

"And just what reason would those be?"

"well…you cant tell him I told you this!" I made a motion of crossing my heart. She looked around anxiously before leaning in close to me.

"I sort of caught him at a party once…I mean, the door was closed, and he was pretty drunk, but…He was making out with another boy. I mean, the hottest guy at the party, but nonetheless…."

My face must have given away my shock, because she smirked slightly at the sight of me. She quickly straightened up as Nathaniel came back from the bathroom.

"Oh, I think our food's here, your just in time!" said Holly. They chatted over their food, Holly rambling about her wedding plans. I tuned it out. My head was absolutely reeling. I mean, it made sense, kind of, but…Hadnt he been crazy over Kitty? And that Jane Farrar? He had found girls attractive before, what had changed? I also couldn't quite push the image of Nathaniel kissing another boy out of my head, and it disturbed me. I knew I should have been disgusted with the thought of such an image, but I wasn't. I felt…ticked. Annoyed. A little bit pissed. I tried to shake it from my head, but it kept coming back, leaving me more and more irate.

They finally finished lunch and hugged goodbye.

"Have fun on your trip, you two! Don't let the weather get you down!"she called before jumping in a cab. We walked home, Nathaniel chatting away absently about the artifacts he had been assigned.


End file.
